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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Chanel Eyewear

I was flipping through the current issue of W magazine and saw this new Chanel Eyewear ad.

It's slightly different from the one we've already seen:

And only the fourth image to be released from the set which already includes:

Maybe there's more? Maybe that's it? Who knows? I do love the sterile, minimalistic vibe of these shots. Pick a good, beautiful model and let the product speak for itself. No need for additional flurries and distractions. The cool, calming color tone also helps these ads pop out when you're flipping through a magazine. But I couldn't help noticing the concept recycling that Karl uses here, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Numero #81, March 2007

Anyway, you know you're living in the 21st century when a brand synonymous with tweed suits, old ladies and No. 5 perfume prominently and regularly features a model with highly visible tattoos in it's ad campaigns. I'm just loving the fact that they didn't airbrush out or cover up Freja's in the shots. They lend just the right amount of edge and bring just the right amount of modernity to such a traditional and established brand image. Society has come such a long way in terms of the acceptance of tattoos. They're not the social taboo they once were even just 10-15 years ago. And Freja really is a model that exemplifies these times because she's been able to have such a successful career despite of (or maybe because of?) her tattoos. Set her up 10 years earlier and I don't think she would have worked.

Now, perhaps she's just the very rare exception to the rule, but I do feel like I see more and more models proudly showing off their body art: Isabeli, Snejana, Karmen, and Abbey Lee immediately come to mind. Though it remains to be seen whether another model with such visible tattoos will come along and attain the quality and sustained level of success that Freja has. And I can't think of anyone else that came before her. Maybe Omahyra Mota but I don't think she was as successful as Freja is.

Perhaps Freja's career is just the product of hard work, and a lucky confluence of factors that line up only once in a lifetime. Your thoughts? Will tattoos become commonplace? Or is Freja really the only model that can get away with this?Image Credits: My scan from May 2010 W Magazine, youkioske via Flashbang @ tFS, scan via fearless123 @ tFS, imgmodels.com, frejabeha photobucket

4 comments:

I think that tattoos are very commonplace and not at all commonplace at the same time. Tasha Tilberg has many more visible tattoos than Freja Beha and in an editorial for the latest issue of THE BLOCK Magazine her tattoos and piercings (including a nose piercing) are fully visible even though the dress she is wearing is a Prabal Gurung dress that doesn't make you think of body art and piercings or anything edgy. I know that Abbey Lee Kershaw's nose piercing has been airbrushed in quite a few editorials. But I wonder why so many designers feel the need to airbrush body art. It doesn't make any sense to me.

Freja's tattoos are beautiful, which I think is why they're acceptable. They're not big or brash, they just quietly stand out and symbolise something a little bit different. Much like Freja herself, actually.

@ justassoon...: Thanks for mentioning Tasha. I had forgotten about her. But was she as heavily inked during her prime as she is now? Why do I feel like most of her tattoos came later? Although I admit, I don't know too much about her career trajectory.

@ Emily: Excellent point. Freja's tattoos are rather subtle, even if they are highly visible.

About

This is a blog dedicated to the amazingly beautiful and mysterious Danish model Freja Beha Erichsen, with whom I have no personal connection. I am merely an admirer and here you will find my opinions, thoughts and long musings in addition to any news and updates about Freja that may occur.